How Lynchburg Grows Will Expand their Mission with the $100K GLCF Century Fund
Written by Carrie Eobbi, Liberty University Intern
The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (GLCF) recently announced their 2023 winner for the annual $100,000 Century Fund to be Lynchburg Grows.
Lynchburg Grows is a nonprofit farm located in the middle of the city of Lynchburg. Lynchburg Grows works with the community to provide access to healthy, locally grown food as well as provide jobs to disabled community members.
The Century Fund will be put to use as Lynchburg Grows plans to finish building their barn to store all of their equipment as well as an added educational space on-site to hold classes as well as double as a meeting room for the staff and volunteers.
We talked with Shelley Blades, Lynchburg Grows Executive Director, about how this grant will impact Lynchburg Grows.
Q: What are the stages of your ongoing project/build?
A: The renovation of the Power Shed is one of the final projects from our 2019 Capital Campaign, and is nearing completion. Due to increased construction costs since the onset of the pandemic, we realized in late 2022 that our prior campaign funding goal fell short of the new cost estimates to renovate our Power Shed by a little over $150,000. In order to complete this project and avoid further inflation we moved forward with the renovation in February 2023 while fundraising to cover the additional costs. We will continue to fundraise until we meet our new goal in 2024.
Q: How far into the build are you & when do you plan on it to be completed?
A: Thanks to Glass Construction, the renovation has moved along rapidly this year. We are on track to complete it by the end of the summer.
Q: What are your plans for the space once it is completed?
A: The purpose of the renovation is twofold. Half of the building has been turned into usable storage space since the removal of the boiler that lived there and heated the greenhouses since the early 1900s. We’ll finally have a secure and weather-proof space to store all our farm equipment and tools! The other half is being converted into an ADA accessible meeting space complete with a kitchen and bathroom. Its primary use will be hosting our FreshRx classes, where clients learn about nutrition, meal planning, and how to cook healthy meals for themselves and their families. We’ll also use the classroom when we host school trips and tours, and other community groups who visit the farm, to educate people of all ages about growing and eating healthy produce.
Q: What are your dreams/goals for this new space and how do you imagine it expanding in the future?
A: One of our long-term goals is to expand our programming so that we can work more with children. In the coming years, we hope to start a FreshRx program for kids. We also plan to educate volunteers and employees with disabilities who might need some pointers on preparing meals for themselves. We know that barriers to a healthy diet include not being able to afford healthy ingredients, not knowing how to cook or what to do with different kinds of food, or not having the right tools in your home kitchen. FreshRx gives people the tools, skills, and access to fresh food from Lynchburg Grows - all at no cost to them - so that they can make healthier food choices. We are so grateful to be able to execute our work and grow our programming through this renovation thanks to the generosity of the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation and other donors!
To learn more about Lynchburg Grows as well as upcoming events, visit their page on SHARE Greater Lynchburg or contact Executive Director Shelley Blades at shelley@lynchburggrows.org. Applications for the next Century Fund will be due on February 28, 2024 and more information can be found here.